Plug-in contact jaw



July 22, 1952 E. F. MEKELBURG PLUG IN CONTACT JAW Filed Sept. 20, 1950 mZ m 7 K 15.

M EPEM Z Z lllflulll xu y Patented July 22, 1952 CONTACT 'JAW' t tion ofMichigan. A.

Application September 20, 1350;:S'erial3No;185 700:

- invention relatesetoga.dericeiforrmakin electrica'lrconnections tobus'bars ortha'likel; v I 'It is .fre'quently the. practiceiinmodernelemetri'cal' installations; toelectrically connect the sourceof'electrical energy:to: bus bars; andizto efr'ectconnection of electricalinstrumentaliti'es; generally mounted in enclosing boxes, to; these bus;bars by means of resilient, generally: U- shaped contact: jaws sothatthe devices may'be readily assembled and disassembled-.1Difiiculties mayarise: from this arrangement when thelelecrtricalv,instrumentality; "when moved into position, is. so: placedlthat thecontact jaws do not exactly? register with the bus bars, This isparticnlarly trueiwherelthe device is of large mass and: is guided inits-plug inf movemenu It is therefore one object of the: present invention to provide a jaw type: connector suitablefor clamping on to busbars-or the like; in which the connectors. are rotatable/relative totheir" mount-"- other object of the present invention is the provisionof a device in accordance *with the preceding object in -which'the'connectors are swiveled' relative to their mountings; wherebyconnection'to current carryi'ngbus bars" or the like=iswfacilitated.Another "object ofthe-present invention is a device'in accordance withthe preceding objects in which the connector jaws arecarrie'd by tubularconductors rotatably mounted in support-'- ing brackets: andwiththecircuit leads electrically and mechanically connected within the tubularconductors.

Another object of the present invention is a device in accordance withthe preceding objects in which generally U-shaped contact'jaws arerigidly connected to tubular conductors rotatably mounted in supportingbrackets to permit limited rotational movement of the jaws bodilyrelative: to the mountingmeanswherebythe attachmenttobus bars,whichu-are not exactly in axial alignment with. the normalaxis oflth'eijaws. is facilitated, the. circuit. leads being electrically andmechanically mounted within the tubular conductors.

Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art from the specification and appended drawingillustrating certain preferred embodiments in which:

Figure 1 is a back elevational view of a device employing connector jawsaccording to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of the present invention.

toning (01. 173 -328) l.=?ig1;1re. -3--is,@ahview along the. 1ine III-III;. oft u e ,4 2 v Figure-4 r is a viewalong ,the: line. Ive-1V1, of,-su al; I 7-, r i Y The device-of theupresent: invention com lc xrisesvan insulatingblock- L of a, -mat'erial such vas porcelain which-ismountedas by studs 2to the rearwallaof.v anenclosing box for vanelectricalf mstrumentalitmnot;shown. v v Mou ntedon the back 'faceoflltheinsulating. block I are brackets comprisedflof" uppe'rvandjlower. members. 4 and 5 mounted'to} the insulating block L by meansofistuclsTS. The members" t4 and 5 have inwardly projecting ledges. l 4and. [5 respectively for a purpose to be. subsequently described. v t VDisposed withi'n themembe'r's 4 and. 5f aretgenierally U-shaped.connector jaws T of a material having good electrical conductivity, suchascopper, and backed. by J-shaped spring, steel reinforcing strips 9to..maintain. contact pressure. In Figure 2, in the middle illustration,there is, shown in dotted linesfthe normal position ofjthe connector 1',while in full lines. there is. shown the position ofI the-connector 1witha'busbar 8 inserted [betweenthe legs thereof. The outer ends of the"connector ,7- are spun over the edges of the springstrips' so. astolmove therewith in bothdirections. I r Y ,Fitting into anaccommodating. depressionin thei bight of the U-shaped -connector jaw Iis a tubular member ll of conducting material of suflicient. length; toextend through; suitable apere tures. lprin bracket members-(Land; 5 theapertures: Ill-loosely containing the-'mem'oer H-so thatv it .ispivotally mounted in the -.apertures; The member I and jaw Tare brazedor otherwise: connected together so-that; the, jawv issupportedby. themember- An, electricallcircuit lead or conductor I2 is held-inelectrical andmechanical engagement within the member I I; bya cri-mped,inwardlypressed portion which then has. the shape illustratedtat I3 inFigure 4 I t should be:noted,-aswill beseenfrom anrinspection of Figure3, that the ledges l4 and I5 do not completely bridge the gap betweenthe legs of the connector 1, some space being left between the ledgesand the legs so that the connector jaw may be pivoted about the loosemounting of member ll within the brackets 4 and 5.

The operation of the device is readily apparent. and will be but brieflydescribed. When the instrumentality carrying the insulating block I ismoved into position, if the bus bars 8 which the connector jaws I are toengage are not exactly in alignment with the jaw centers, the bus barsstrike the outer portions of the legs of the jaws, rotating the jawsabout the pivotal connection of the tubular members H within theapertures H] in bracket members 4 and 5. A tight engagement of the legsof the U-shaped conducting jaws I with the bus bar is then effected dueto the resilient bias of the spring strips 9. Electrical energy thenreadily passes from the bus bars through the legs of the jaws to theleads I2, through which it passes to the electrical instrumentalityconnected thereto.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have beenspecifically disclosed, it is brackets to mount said jaws for rotation,and

rigidly mechanically attached to the bights of said jaws and projectingbeyond both sides thereof, flexible electrical conductors, means forholding said flexible electrical conductors in electrical and mechanicalengagement within said tubular means comprising inwardly pressedportions of said tubular means, brackets having apertures therein inwhich said projecting portions of said tubular means a're'looselyfittedwhereby said tubular means are pivotally mounted in said means integralwith said bracket for limiting understood that the invention is not."limited thereto, as many variations will be readily ap'-' parent tothose skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadestpossible interpretation within the terms of the following claims: Whatis claimed is:

1. In a device adapted to engage rigid current carrying elements, acontact jaw of generally U shape, tubular conducting means electricallyand mechanically connected to the bight of said U-shaped means, aflexible electrical conductor, means holding said flexible conductor inengagement with said tubular means, and a bracket, said bracketpivotally mounting said tubular means whereby said contact jaws may berotated to engage said elements regardless of limited misalignmentbetween said elements and saidcontact jaw. 2. In a device adapted toengage rigid current carrying elements, contact jaws of generally U-shape, tubular conducting means rigidly attached to the bight of saidU-shaped means, flexible electrical conductors, means holding saidflexible electrical conductors in electrical and mechanical engagementwithin said tubular means comprising inwardly pressed portions of saidtubular" means, and brackets pivotally mounting said tubular meanswhereby said contactjaws may berotated to engage said -elementsregardless of limited misalignment between said elements and said jaws.3. In a' device adapted toengage rigid'current carrying elements,contact jaws of generally U- shape having a transverse recess in thebight of said U, tubular conducting means rigidly mounted to said recessand projecting beyond'both sides of said'jaws, flexibleelcctricalconductors, means holding said flexible electrical conductors inelectrical and mechanical engagement with said tubular means comprisinginwardly pressed portions of said tubular means, and brackets pivotallyengagingthe'extending portions of said tubular means whereby saidjawsmay be rotated to engage said elements regardless of limitedmisalignment betweensaid elements and said jaws, said brackets havingmeans for limiting the amount of rotation of said engaging means.

4. In a device adapted to engage rigid current carrying elements,contact jaws of conducting material and of generally U-shape, tubularmeans of conducting material electrically and the amount of rotationalmovement of said engaging means.

5. In a'deviceadapted to engage rigid current carrying elements, aninsulating block, a bracket mounted to said insulating block, engagingmeans of electrically conductive material and of generally U-shape, astrip of resilient material extending about said engaging means to applycontacting pressure thereto, the ends'of said engaging means havingreturn bent portions interconnecting with the ends of said strip, ahollow connector of. electrically conductive. material rigidly mountedto the .bight of said engaging means and having portions integraltherewith extending outwardly from opposite sides of said engagingmeans, -a flexible electrical conductor fastened within said connector,said bracket being formed of upper and lower spaced members eachadjacent opposite sides-of said engaging meansflsaid members havingcircular apertures therein:into. which, said extending pore tions rare,pivotallymounted, and an integral ledge extending ,fromeach member intothe space between the legs of said engaging means for limiting theamount of rotationalmovement of said engaging means.

6. In a device'adapted to, engage rigid current carrying elements, a,contact jaw of generally U shape, tubular conducting means electricallyand mechanically. connected to the bight ofsaid U- shaped means, meansintegral with said tubular means for holding a fiexible'electricalconductor in engagement with said tubular means, and bracket means atopposite side of said jaw, said tubular means being rotatably mounted insaid bracket means whereby said contact jaws may be rotated to engagesaid elements regardless of limited misalignmentbetween said elementsand said contact jaws. r

EARL F. MEKELBURG.

I REFERENCES CIT D Thefollowing references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

" j UN TED-STATES PATENTS Number I .Name Date 1,267,457 Sachs May 28,1918 1,864,283 Steinniaye'r A.- Q.-- June 21, 1932 1,878,017 'SteinmayerB. Sept. 20,1932 2,440,824 Jackson May '4, 1948

